November 2009

Has it really been two whole weeks since I returned from the AMTA conference in San Diego? According to my calendar, it has, but it feels like just yesterday. My first national conference was an experience I won’t soon forget, and I’m already thinking ahead to next year. You can read some of the highlights […]

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I’m thrilled to be writing my second “I’m thankful for…” post (you can read last year’s here) and it seems that this year, the list has grown. It has been a truly amazing year full of new experiences, opportunities, friends, and additions to my family. So without further ado, these are the […]

Okay, everyone…the final countdown has begun! We are only three days away from Thanksgiving, and if your students are anything like mine, they are probably getting restless in anticipation of the holiday and having a mini-break. Maybe you are even experiencing some of this restlessness – I know I am! But there are still two […]

Here at Listen & Learn, I post songs, activities, videos, and resources on a regular basis. But if you want even more helpful content every month, then sign up for my free newsletter. Along with delivering tips, giveaways, and other goodies, it will: Keep you up-to-date with the latest happenings at Music Therapy Connections and […]

Happy weekend, everyone! I had an early start to mine, as I spent yesterday in St. Louis celebrating my sister-in-law’s successful doctoral thesis defense. I’m just taking a little time to relax this morning before I head to the WBDR Cares for Kids Radiothon, which I wrote about here a few days ago. In fact, […]

You’ve probably noticed that something has been missing from this blog lately: songs! Yes, the very reason many of you visit Listen & Learn in the first place…so thanks for sticking around despite the lack of new tunes over the last couple of weeks. But that is all about to change, since I’ve been saving […]

Starting tonight and going through Saturday afternoon, my local radio station is hosting their 4th annual radiothon to benefit the Children’s Miracle Network and St. John’s Children’s Hospital. They will be broadcasting live from the lobby of the hospital, where there will be volunteers manning the phones and families who have been helped by the […]

Can I just tell you how excited I am to be writing to you from Springfield for the first time in over a week? Really, really excited. As much as I love traveling, attending/presenting at conferences, and meeting new people, it feels good to be home. I can’t wait to see all my kiddos today, […]

After five days in warm, beautiful San Diego, I can’t say I was thrilled to come home to the cold, rain-soaked Midwest. But such is life, so here I am, back in Springfield, though I am about to leave and head north to the suburbs of Chicago (where it is undoubtedly colder and rainier). I […]

Here are 13 highlights of the national American Music Therapy Association conference thus far, in chronological order: Arriving in sunny Dan Diego! Finally meeting fellow music therapy blogger Kimberly Sena Moore and sharing a conversation-filled dinner. Reuniting with Michelle Erfurt and getting to meet her awesome hubby. Seeing my songbook in person for the first […]

I’m Turkey Dinner Dancin’ here in San Diego, and now, so are my readers at Listen & Learn Music Plus! The lead sheet for this song, complete with lyrics and chords, as well as the mp3 download are available to members…learn about becoming one today! Members, click here to access this post.

In just under 24 hours, I will be hopping on a plane and making my way to sunny California for the American Music Therapy Association’s national conference. Though this won’t be quite the sight-seeing San Diego vacation that I enjoyed last spring, it will certainly be a memorable (and educational) experience. This is the first […]

This afternoon, I had the opportunity to be a guest on Janice Harris’ Music Therapy Show and it was so much fun! Michelle Erfurt, whose company (Erfurt Music Therapy) published my new songbook, was right there with me, and you can listen for yourself below: I really wanted to sing one of my songs from […]

Happy Friday, everyone! It has been a long week…for me, at least. Just as I was recovering from the flu, I managed to catch a cold that led to a nasty case of laryngitis. The bane of every musician’s existence, I have been fighting it since Monday and it has yet to surrender completely. But […]

A couple of months ago, my students and I had the honor of performing at The Hope Institute’s Celebrity Chef gala, an annual fundraiser held right here on campus. “The Sound of Hope” was a song I wrote especially for the event, and it was included on the souvenir CD I made for the guests. […]

I received this in an email from a friend yesterday, and I thought it was too good not to share with all of you. It really does make you think…what would your reaction have been? Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. The man with a violin played six Bach pieces […]